Now Commenting On:

Trout sets club, AL rookie mark for scoring

Trout sets club, AL rookie mark for scoring

ANAHEIM -- When Mike Trout saw that his first-inning hit was headed to the right-field corner on Sunday, there wasn't much doubt in his mind that he was going to end up on third.

He made it as easy as he could on his teammates to get him into the record books quickly.

Two batters after Trout tripled, Albert Pujols knocked him in with a double, scoring the rookie for a franchise and American League rookie record 14th consecutive game.

Trout passed Jim Edmonds, who scored a run in 13 straight games for the Angels in 1995 and topped Don Lenhardt (1950 St. Louis Browns) and Jake Powell (1935 Washington Senators), who scored runs in 13 straight games as rookies.

The overall AL record is 18 consecutive games with a run, set by Red Rolfe with the Yankees in 1939 and Kenny Lofton with the Indians in 2000, and the Major League record is 24 consecutive games, set by Billy Hamilton of the Phillies in 1894.

The 20-year-old leads the American League with a .357 average and leads the Majors with 31 stolen bases. He is also third on the Angels with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs.

Though there were chants of "M-V-P" emanating from the Anaheim crowd, it isn't just the fans who are noticing Trout's presence at the plate. Rangers starter Matt Harrison brushed him back twice in three at-bats against the lefty.

"Sometimes it's surreal because I'm so young," Trout said of his season. "You've got to be confident in what you do. I'm very confident."

Since 1957, the first year under the current standards that define a rookie, Trout is the only one to hit .345 with 15-plus home runs and 30 stolen bases before Aug. 1.

Trout has made the jump from top prospect to Rookie of the Year candidate to Most Valuable Player candidate in fewer than four months. Each night at Angel Stadium, there are Mike Trout fish hats and "I love Mike Trout" signs.

And on Sunday, a fan was so eager to meet the outfielder that he ran onto the field in the eighth inning and asked Trout for his autograph.

"He told me it was his 18th birthday and he wanted an autograph," Trout said with a laugh. "It was weird because it was the first time it's ever happened to me. I just said, 'Not right now. Maybe after the game, I guess.'"